Chelsea and Manchester City will face off in the FA Cup final at Wembley today.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the match will kick off at 18:00 Baku time.
The FA Cup is one of the oldest tournaments in football history. It was founded in 1871, while the first final took place in 1872. For the founders of football, it is much more than just another trophy. The FA Cup laid the foundations of the organised football season, united clubs from different levels and shaped the very idea of a cup upset, when a favourite can lose to a lower-ranked side.
For Chelsea, this is a chance to at least partially smooth over a difficult season. The London club currently sits only ninth in the Premier League with 49 points from 36 matches, having recorded 13 wins, 10 draws and 13 defeats. The club also experienced managerial instability during the season: after Enzo Maresca left in January, Callum McFarlane took charge on an interim basis, then Liam Rosenior was appointed, but he was dismissed in April, with McFarlane once again becoming caretaker manager.
For Manchester City, the final is an opportunity to secure a second trophy of the season and maintain momentum during the decisive stage of the campaign. Pep Guardiola’s side has already won the League Cup and remains in the Premier League title race, sitting second with 77 points from 36 matches, two behind Arsenal. Victory at Wembley could therefore become not only another title, but also an emotional boost ahead of the championship run-in.
Both clubs have a rich FA Cup history. Chelsea have won the competition eight times: in 1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2018. The Londoners will play in their 17th FA Cup final today and aim to lift the trophy for the ninth time. However, recent years at Wembley have been painful for the club: since winning the FA Cup in 2018, Chelsea have lost six finals at the stadium, including three consecutive FA Cup finals.
Manchester City have won the FA Cup seven times: in 1904, 1934, 1956, 1969, 2011, 2019 and 2023. Guardiola’s team has reached the FA Cup final for the fourth consecutive season for the first time in club history. However, City lost the previous two finals: 1-2 to Manchester United in 2024 and 0-1 to Crystal Palace in 2025. The club will now try to avoid a third straight defeat in the decisive match and complete a domestic cup double for the second time after the 2018/19 season.
Interestingly, Chelsea and Manchester City have never previously met in an FA Cup final. They have faced each other nine times in the competition, including semi-finals at Wembley. Their last FA Cup meeting came in the 2023/24 semi-final, when City secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a late goal from Bernardo Silva. Overall, this will already be the seventh meeting between the clubs at Wembley, but their first-ever FA Cup final clash.
Manchester City have had the upper hand in head-to-head meetings this season. The teams drew 1-1 at the Etihad in January, while City comfortably defeated Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in April. Moreover, since losing to Chelsea in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, Manchester City have gone 13 consecutive matches against the London side without defeat in all competitions, recording 10 wins and three draws.
Chelsea approach the final with cautious optimism regarding team news. Reece James and Levi Colwill trained ahead of the match and could feature. There are also positive signs concerning Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto and Robert Sanchez. At the same time, Estevao has already been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury.
Manchester City’s main concern is Rodri, with Guardiola stating that a decision on his availability will be made closer to kick-off. Otherwise, the coaching staff has not reported any major injury problems. Particular attention in attack will be on Erling Haaland, who has scored 37 goals in 50 matches across all competitions this season, but has yet to score in a final for Manchester City.
Both teams advanced to the final convincingly. Chelsea eliminated Charlton, Hull, Wrexham, Port Vale and Leeds, scoring 21 goals in the tournament. Manchester City defeated Exeter, Salford, Newcastle, Liverpool and Southampton, also scoring 21 goals.
The difference is that for Chelsea this final represents an attempt to give meaning to a season that has been nervous and unstable. For City, it is another opportunity to confirm the status of a team that is used to ending decisive matches with trophies and remains a contender in every competition.
